December 18, 2025

In This Issue 

A special treat’: Pop-Tarts Bowl officials ‘feel blessed’ to get BYU-Georgia Tech matchup in Orlando

>>As it sits right now, the 2025 Pop-Tarts Bowl will be remembered as the bowl game Notre Dame turned down after the Fighting Irish were left out of the College Football Playoff. 

>>No. 22 Georgia Tech and No. 12 BYU, the schools that will be clashing on Dec. 27 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida, hope to rewrite that narrative. That’s especially true of the Yellow Jackets, who got the call after Notre Dame “wasn’t in the pool (of teams) when it came time to pick,” said Florida Citrus Sports CEO Steve Hogan..

>>“As soon as they gave us the pool (of eligible teams from the ACC), we jumped at the chance to take Georgia Tech,” Hogan said. “The fact that the opportunity to get BYU here to go with them is a special treat.”

>>While Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman and athletic director Pete Bevacqua were livid over the snub, BYU coach Kalani Sitake was not in the same boat, at least outwardly. A case could be made that BYU also deserved a more favorable ranking, even after the Cougars were drubbed 34-7 by Texas Tech in the Big 12 championship game.

>>“I can’t really say anything other than they (the committee) did their best, and I’m looking forward to watching how the playoff plays out,” Sitake said, having already noted that Texas Tech is the best team in the country. 

>>For much of the season, it appeared that BYU and Georgia Tech were on track to make the 12-team playoff field, until the Cougars ran into the buzzsaw known Texas Tech twice and the Jackets lost three of their last four games, including a very competitive 16-9 loss to No. 3 Georgia the Friday after Thanksgiving.

>>“We get one of the first two teams out of the playoff going to play another ranked team,” Hogan said. Georgia Tech quarterback “Haynes King and coach (Brent) Key, these guys have put on a show this year.

>>They played Georgia very tough. This is, probably, next to the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl (pitting Texas and Michigan) one of the top games in the country outside of the CFP.”

>>“We are very happy with Georgia Tech,” Hogan said. “Georgia Tech vs. BYU was a game we were circling (weeks ago). … The opportunity (for Tech) to play those guys, BYU, someone on the (CFP) bubble, this will get intense as we get closer. Two class acts. Two really good football teams. Stars all over the field. We feel blessed.”

Georgia Tech's HC Brent Key's Press Conference

Talking About Preparations For Pop-Tarts Bowl Game

>>Georgia Tech coach Brent Key did not hide his enthusiasm when the Yellow Jackets drew BYU in the Pop‑Tarts Bowl, calling it “an outstanding matchup” between programs that share similar values. “Really, really excited to play BYU,” Key said in his bowl‑selection media session. “What a great team. Great coach, he’s done an unbelievable job… two really good teams, but also two teams, I think, that go about things the right way and have high values, high character, wanna play with toughness and discipline.”

>>As preparations continued this week in Atlanta and Orlando, Key reiterated that the bowl is a reward but also a measuring stick. He framed the Pop‑Tarts Bowl as a stage to show how far the program has come against a physical BYU team that mirrors Tech’s own emphasis on effort and discipline.

>>He talked in his December 16 press confernce about getting ready for the bowl game. "Final opportunity for us to be able to go compete as a football team this year. Excited about it. Chance to get a 10th win, top 25 finish, all those things, which, if I'm not mistaken, I think it's been 10 other times in Georgia Tech history to be able to do that.

>>"We went down last night to the dinner and press conference for the bowl game. And it was great to be around (BYU head coach) Kalani (Sitake). What a great guy. He's done a great job with his team, building that team. And, the two coaches from other game (Cheez-It Citrus Bowl) were there (Steve Sarkisian from Texas and Michigan interim coach Biff Poggi) The four of us were able to have a lot of good conversations and talk. to just us

>>"It's the Pop-Tarts Bowl and the trophy is a toaster and we were able to put the Pop-Tart in it and toast it (See link below)

>>"We have a lot in common with the two football teams. We're putting our work in here this week. We'll have three days of practice down there in Orlando before we're finally able to play the game.

>>He was asked about who is handling the offense with former OC Buster Falkner moving on to Florida. "Chris Weinke will call plays in the game. offensive line Allen Mogridge is the offensive line coach. Mo was here last year, has unbelievable rapport with the current guys.

>>There's no distractions. This is a collaborative effort we've put together over the last three years. There's not one person that sits up there and does one thing. Mo's an excellent game planner, designer of schemes and plays and formations. We'll continue to go about the way we've done it as an offensive staff. 

>>"You just really want to soak it all in with the guys who are leaving to play their final game.

>>He was asked how the search is going for a new offensive coordinator going? "Good, I feel pretty strongly about what direction we're going. You want a distraction> Start bringing people in a week before we play in the game. That's a distraction.

Click Here To Watch The Presser

Numbers Reflect Growth, Impact of Georgia Tech Football

>>Georgia Tech football’s most successful regular season in more than a decade extends far beyond the playing field, as a wide range data reflects the growth and impact of the Yellow Jackets’ football program, locally, nationally and worldwide.

>>ATTENDANCE - 286,161 fans attended Georgia Tech football’s six games at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field this season. The average attendance of 47,694 was the Yellow Jackets’ highest at Bobby Dodd Stadium since 2015 and represented a 24.8% increase over 2024.

>>Georgia Tech sold out its final two games of the season at Bobby Dodd Stadium (Oct. 25 vs. Syracuse and Nov. 22 vs. Pitt), which marked the first time since 2015 that the Jackets sold out multiple home games in a season. Tech also drew 50,000-plus fans for its final three games of the year at Bobby Dodd (Oct. 11 vs. Virginia Tech, Oct. 25 vs. Syracuse and Nov. 22 vs. Pitt), which was the first time since 2011 that the Yellow Jackets played in front of three-straight home crowds of 50,000.

>>Student attendance was also at an all-time high in 2025, as Tech sold out its allotment of 7,000 student season tickets, shattering the previous record of 5,939 student season tickets sold in 2024. 12,000 Georgia Tech students attended the Oct. 25 homecoming game vs. Syracuse, which was a school record for single-game student attendance.

>>A standing-room-only crowd of 73,729 was in attendance for Georgia Tech’s home game vs Georgia at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It was the second-largest crowd to ever see the Jackets play at MBS, behind only the 75,107 that were in attendance for the 2017 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game versus Tennessee in only the second college football game ever played at the stadium.

>>TV VIEWERSHIP - More than 25 million viewers (25,113,822) tuned in live to watch Georgia Tech football during nine Nielsen-rated broadcasts during the 2025 regular season. The average viewership of 2.79 million ranks 19th nationally, up 34 spots from just two seasons ago, when the Yellow Jackets ranked 53rd nationally with 1.31 viewers over seven Nielsen-rated broadcasts during the 2023 regular season.

>>In seven games on ABC and ESPN, Tech averaged 3,437,832 viewers per game.

Click Here For The Full Story

Men’s Basketball Sizzles From Beyond The Arc in Win Over Marist

>>Led by Kowacie Reeves Jr. and Kam Craft, Tech men’s basketball put together one of the best 3-point shooting performances in school history in its 87-76 win over Marist on Tuesday evening at McCamish Pavilion.

>>Georgia Tech (7-4) made 8-of-11 3-pointers as a team (.727), which fell just shy of the school record of .778 (7-of-9), which has happened three times in Tech history, but not since a 120-107 win over Texas in the semifinals of the 1991 Preseason NIT (Nov. 27, 1991). Making the Yellow Jackets’ sharp-shooting from beyond the arc even more impressive is the fact that Marist (7-3) came into the night ranked sixth nationally in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.252) and 10th in scoring defense (61.9 ppg).

>>Reeves and Craft were the hottest of the Jackets’ white-hot shooters, going 3-for-5 and 2-for-3, respectively. Reeves finished with a game-high 21 points, as he topped 20 points for the third-straight game and 18 for the fourth time in his last five outings.

>>Georgia Tech closes its pre-holidays schedule on Saturday when it hosts Lafayette at 2 p.m. at McCamish Pavilion.

Georgia Tech QB Hot Board 1.0: Who Could Replace Aaron Philo?

>>Georgia Tech lost its projected starting quarterback for the 2026 season after Aaron Philio decided to enter the transfer portal. Of course, Haynes King will be graduated. Now, with the majority of the staff and a former Georgia Tech player likely to end up in Florida, Brent Key will be looking to replace a good chunk of his offense. It starts with the offensive coordinator, then getting the quarterback position right.

>>So, where does the head coach look at the quarterback position in the portal? Let’s take a deeper look at some options.

>>North Texas QB Drew Mestemaker: Mestemaker decided to enter the transfer portal on Tuesday afternoon. He will be a heavily sought-after prospect for the Mean Green. Mestemaker led North Texas to the American Championship with his stellar play. He finished first in the NCAA in passing yards this season with 4,129 passing yards. Mestemaker also had 31 touchdowns to just seven interceptions and ranked 25th in QBR (quarterback rating) with a 74.8.

>>Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola: Now this one carries a little bit of risk because Raiola suffered a season-ending broken right Fibula injury against USC. It will be interesting to see if he is the same player or has the same level of mobility.

>>Raiola has two years of playing experience at Nebraska and started as a true freshman for the Cornhuskers after playing his final high school season with the Buford Wolves.

>>Florida QB DJ Lagway: Lagway is a player who comes with a lot of risk and probably will be very expensive for the Yellow Jackets. His production hasn’t been the best at the quarterback spot with 28 touchdowns and 23 interceptions in his two-year career. Lagway was a former five-star prospect and struggled at Florida, putting together wins at a consistent level.

>>The one thing he brings is his ability to improvise and make big plays.  

Click Here For The Full Story

ACC Finalizes 2026

Football Opponents

>>The Atlantic Coast Conference unveiled its 2026 football league opponents for all 17 teams on Tuesday, marking an exciting milestone as the league furthers its transition to a nine-game conference schedule and a minimum of 10 games each year against Power Four opponents.

>>“Today’s announcement of our 2026 football league opponents is another significant and intentional step forward for ACC Football,” said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D. “Transitioning to a nine-game conference schedule strengthens our competitive framework, aligns us with the other Power Four conferences and provides greater consistency for our student-athletes, coaches and fans. This phased approach reflects our commitment to competitive equity, scheduling flexibility and delivering a premier football product across all 17 institutions.”

>>Beginning in 2026, the ACC will introduce the new schedule structure through a transitional season designed to balance competitive equity, honor existing non-conference game contracts and account for the league’s unique 17-team footprint. Twelve teams will play a 9+1 schedule (nine ACC games plus at least one Power Four non-conference opponent) while five teams will play an 8+2 schedule (eight ACC games paired with at least two Power Four non-conference matchups).

Click Here For The Full Story

Coming College Football Playoffs and Bowl Games

ACC Football Schedule

ACC Football Standings - Click Here

All Times Eastern

Saturday, December 20

College Football Playoffs -

FIrst Round

#19 Miami Hurricanes @ 
#7 Texas A&M Aggies
College Station, Texas,
12:00 p.m. (ABC and ESPN)

Tuesday, December 23

2025 Bush's Boca Raton

Bowl of Beans

Toledo Rockets

vs Louisville Cardinals

2:00 p.m. Boca Raton, FL (ESPN)

Wednesday, December 24

2025 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl 

California Golden Bears

vs Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors

Manoa, Hawai'i, 8:00 p.m. (ESPN)

Saturday, December 27

Go Bowling Military Bowl 

Pitt Panthers

vs East Carolina Pirates

Annapolis, MD, 11:00 a,m. (ESPN)

Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl

Penn State Nittany Lions

vs Clemson Tigers

Bronx, NY, 12:00 p.m. (ABC)

Pop-Tarts Bowl

#22 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs #12 BYU Cougars

Orlando, FL,3:30 p.m. (ABC)

81st TaxSlayer Gator Bowl

Virginia Cavaliers

vs Missouri Tigers

Jacksonville, FL (7:30 p.m. (ABC)

Wednesday, December 31

Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl 

Duke Blue Devils

vs Arizona State Sun Devils

El Paso, Texas, 2:00 p.m. (CBS)

Friday, January 2

Duke's Mayo Bowl 

Wake Forest Demon Deacons

vs Mississippi State Bulldogs

Charlotte, NC, 8:00 p.m. (ESPN)

46th Annual Trust & Will

Holiday Bowl

#17 Arizona Wildcats

vs SMU Mustangs

San Diego, CA, 8:00 p.m. (FOX)

Georgia Tech OL Tana Alo-Tupuola Enters The Transfer Portal

>>A mass exodus continues for the Yellow Jackets. Tech has now lost their second offensive lineman to the transfer portal. True freshman Peyton Joseph entered earlier in the month. Offensive lineman Tana Alo-Tupuola has entered the transfer portal. 

>>Alo-Tupuola was a key starter for coach Key on the O-line this past season, which produced one of the better units. Oftentimes, he and Harrison Moore would rotate between center and guard. Alo-Tupuola dealt with injuries this past season, but didn’t let that deter him from playing significant snaps. 

>>The Yellow Jackets have seen most of their offensive staff leave, which has seen more players hit the transfer portal. Georgia Tech offensive line coach Geep Wade is headed to Nebraska, and Tuesday, head coach Brent Key hired Allen Mogridge from App State. Coach Key and Mogridge have a lot of experience together, dating back to their time at UCF. Expect coach Key and Mogridge to attack the transfer portal with more players hitting the portal and heading elsewhere. 

Jackets Women's Basketball Road Trip Concludes at NC State Thursday Night

>>A three-game road trip for Georgia Tech women’s basketball wraps up Thursday night against the NC State Wolfpack.

>>Led by 12.9 points per game from Talayah Walker and one of the highest rebounding averages in the ACC from Brianna Turnage (8.0), the Jackets look to snag their first conference win before the calendar turns to 2026.

>>Tech dropped a heartbreaking one point game, 57-56, to Wake Forest in its ACC opener Sunday afternoon.

>>Thursday marks the end of a treacherous road trip for the Jackets, being the seventh road game in the last eight and covering a 29-day span.

>>NC State is home for the first time in 11 days after getting a conference play-opening win at Miami Sunday, 87-61. The Wolfpack is 3-2 at home this season.

>>Tip-off is at 7 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.